Welcome to Ercildoune (pronounced Air-sill-doon)
We hope to be able to load up some of the amazing histories of the Learmonths, the Wilsons and the Currie families – assuming Christine ever finishes the work she started a decade ago!
The Learmonth brothers, from 1838
Ercildoune was settled in 1838 by brothers Thomas and Somerville Learmonth and became one of the most famous stations in Australia.
The name comes from the Gaelic Arciol Dun, meaning “lookout hill,” after the old keep on the Scottish border associated with their ancestor, Thomas Learmonth, known as Thomas the Rhymer.
The homestead is constructed of massive granite blocks, cut by hand from a nearby quarry. The Learmonths built most of the various outbuildings, including the Gothic-style Manager’s House.
The rams bred at Ercildoune became the basis for many of the best runs in the country, and sale documents show huge prices being paid for Ercildoune rams throughout the width and breadth of the country.
Sir Samuel Wilson, from 1873
In 1873, when the Learmonths returned to Scotland after losing a well-documented court action, Ercildoune was sold to Sir Samuel Wilson. The sale price was reputed to be 236,000 pounds, and by then the property ran to 26,000 acres.
Sir Samuel Wilson oversaw the construction of the 1-acre walled garden, enclosed by a three-metre granite wall and believed to be the only walled garden of this scale in Victoria. He also developed the long entry avenue of alternating Himalayan Cedar and Monterey Pines, established a deer park, and set up one of the first trout hatcheries in the colony.
In 1907 Dame Nellie Melba leased the homestead for about six months during a break from her overseas concert tours, and had a hard-surfaced tennis court built overlooking the lake. It survives today.
Sir Alan Currie, from 1920
Major Alan Currie purchased the property from Sir Samuel Wilson’s trustees in 1920, taking on 8,000 acres together with the house, its furniture and some 10,000 sheep. He was knighted in 1937.
In the 1920s, he made further additions to the exterior, such as the servants’ quarters, adding a car garage to the stables, and, importantly, the hydro-electricity system, installed in 1925 and one of only three known private hydro-electric schemes in Victoria, which is still largely intact, albeit not in working order.
Thereafter it welcomed many famous visitors, including the Duke of Gloucester, who stayed there during his visit to Victoria in 1934.
Sir Alan Currie died at Ercildoune in 1942, and Lady Currie carried on the property, as well as she was able, until her death in 1962. During her later years, the property fell into disrepair, and much of the place’s fabric went ‘missing’.
John and Christine Dever, 1999 to 2014
John & Christine Dever purchased Ercildoune in June 1999 and sold it in April 2014. In 1999, they found the Homestead and garden in a desperate situation requiring substantial restoration after having been virtually empty for decades.
The homestead and other buildings are mostly constructed of granite with some handmade bricks made in kilns on the property, long since gone.
The interior of the homestead was restored in 2000 with regards to hard plastering all walls, carpentry, plumbing and electrical. By 2014 it was as close to being what it was in its former glory days.
Over the 15 years, John & Christine arranged restoration of most of the outbuildings and other parts of what was, in effect, a small township.
The gardens themselves are now almost totally restored and redesigned with Christine’s hand and eye for perfection of shape and colour. We hand this legacy over to the new owners and ask that they take over the care and love we have for the place.
Discover more about the estate’s amazing history
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Ercildoune Homestead?
Ercildoune is a granite homestead in the Scottish Baronial style near Burrumbeet, west of Ballarat in Victoria, Australia. It was established in 1838 by brothers Thomas and Somerville Learmonth and became one of the most famous merino sheep studs in Australia. It is listed on the Victorian Heritage Register (H0313) and classified by the National Trust.
Can you visit Ercildoune Homestead?
No. Ercildoune is a private property and is not open to the public. This website is an independent historical record maintained by John and Christine Dever, who owned and restored the property from 1999 to 2014.
Who has owned Ercildoune?
The Learmonth brothers held Ercildoune from 1838 to 1873, followed by Sir Samuel Wilson from 1873 to 1920 and Sir Alan Currie from 1920, with Lady Currie remaining until her death in 1962. The Briody brothers farmed it from 1964, the Riddoch family bought the core of the property in 1993, and John and Christine Dever owned and restored it from June 1999 until April 2014, when it passed to its current owners.
Why is Ercildoune historically significant?
The estate is significant to Victoria for its pioneering merino wool production, its rare Scottish Baronial granite buildings, its one-acre walled garden believed to be the only one of its scale in Victoria, and its 1925 private hydro-electric scheme, one of only three known in the state. The homestead, gardens, cemetery and farm buildings survive as an unusually complete pastoral settlement.
Where does the name Ercildoune come from?
The name derives from the Gaelic Arciol Dun, meaning lookout hill, after the old keep at Earlston on the Scottish Borders associated with the Learmonths’ ancestor Thomas the Rhymer. Sir Samuel Wilson added the final ‘e’ because he wanted an even number of letters on the gates.
Did Dame Nellie Melba stay at Ercildoune?
Yes. Dame Nellie Melba leased the homestead for about six months in 1907 during a break from her overseas concert tours, and had a hard-surfaced tennis court built overlooking the lake. The tennis court survives today.